European Union – Senegal Partnership: Visit to Senegal by the European Commissioners for International Partnerships and for Home Affairs and Migration
A mission led by Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Mr. Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, visited Senegal from March 2nd to 3rd, 2026. This visit took place within the framework of ongoing negotiations for a new Strategic and Global Partnership between the European Union (EU) and Senegal, based on converging and mutually beneficial interests.
The European delegation was received in audience by H.E. Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, and by Mr. Cheikh Niang, Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs, and Senegalese Abroad. These meetings mark a significant step forward in the dialogue between the EU and Senegal on a strengthened partnership addressing shared challenges such as promoting investment through the Global Gateway initiative, closer cooperation on security and defense, and migration and mobility. The delegation met with Senegalese and European business leaders to discuss the business climate, entrepreneurship, and access to employment.
During their visit, the Commissioners toured programs in the security, migration, and anti-trafficking sectors, as well as in the area of urban mobility: the Joint Operational Programme II (JOP II) and the Regional Express Train (TER).
Mr. Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, met with Mr. Birame Diop, Minister of the Armed Forces, and Mr. Mouhamadou Bamba Cissé, Minister of the Interior and Public Security, to strengthen EU-Senegal cooperation in preventing trafficking and combating transnational organized crime. Illustrating this joint commitment during this visit, the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, in the presence of the Commissioners, presided over the official handover ceremony of 11 new patrol boats and 6 re-engined patrol boats to the National Police and Gendarmerie, and the inauguration of the Maritime Maintenance Center at the Port of Dakar, as part of the POC II Program. This equipment represents a strategic asset for Senegal in the fight against transnational organized crime, strengthening maritime interception capabilities for all types of trafficking (including human trafficking, drug trafficking, and the fight against illegal fishing).
Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, also visited the TER (Regional Express Train) site accompanied by Mr. Yankhoba Diémé, Minister of Land and Air Transport. This visit provided an opportunity to discuss potential collaborations between the EU and Senegal in the transport sector. Indeed, the EU will intervene in Phase 3 of the Regional Express Train (TER), in collaboration with the Senegalese government and the French Development Agency (AFD), to finance extension studies to the regions. This support will contribute to the implementation of Senegal's National Transformation Agenda (Vision 2050) by strengthening territorial balance and the integration of secondary cities through the development of the country's infrastructure, serving all Senegalese. At the regional level, this initiative, which is part of the Global Gateway strategy, will contribute to strengthening strategic West African corridors, particularly the Praia–Dakar–Abidjan axis, where improved connectivity will be a key factor in competitiveness, economic integration, and inclusive growth.
During this high-level visit, Senegalese and European authorities pledged to strengthen their cooperation, particularly in the fight against irregular migration, readmission, and the promotion of legal migration, as well as in the fight against illegal fishing to ensure the sovereign preservation of Senegal's fisheries resources. The European Union welcomed the policy directions announced by the President of the Republic to strengthen the fight against illegal fishing, systematize biological rest periods, and increase monitoring and control of fishing activities and areas, as well as the Senegalese authorities' commitment to ensuring their immediate implementation. The EU-Senegal Partnership will include an action plan focused on combating illegal fishing and resource exploitation in accordance with Senegal's international obligations, and on creating jobs through value chains that benefit young people.
Done in Dakar, March 3, 2026